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Thursday, February 14, 2013

Bureau of Reclamation cuts Klamath River and Refuge water again in a non-drought year

According to the USGS drought monitoring site, the Klamath River Basin is not in drought. In fact, with the
exception of the eastern portion of the Lost River Sub-Basin, the
Klamath River Basin is not even abnormally dry so far this year.

That has not, however, deterred the US
Bureau of Reclamation (Reclamation) from again declaring a
bureaucratic drought in the Basin. Reclamation's “Projection of Klamath Project February 2013 Operations” declares that, because the water level in Upper Klamath Lake has not
met the desired “target” elevation, higher spring flows in the
Klamath River – as promised by the KBRA Water Deal and the 2010
Coho Biological Opinion - will once again not be provided.
Furthermore, Reclamation has again informed managers of Lower Klamath
National Wildlife Refuges that they will receive little to no water
this spring. That means many marshes on which 80% of the birds
migrating through the Pacific Flyway depend will once again be dry
this year.

This has too often been the dominant scene on Lower Klamath NWR

KlamBlog
documented the same situation last winter resulting in a massive die-off of refuge birds and in 2010 we analyzed how Reclamation's water planning procedures had been manipulated to facilitate the creation of "bureaucratic droughts" in order to cut river and refuge flows and maximize irrigation water diversion and delivery.

The
KBRA fails to deliver

Higher
spring flows in the Klamath River and a set water allocation for the
Klamath Refuges were supposed to be two of the main benefits received
by environmental interests via the KBRA in exchange for a guaranteed
first-in-line water supply for federal irrigation interests. While
many aspects of the KBRA – including first priority for federal
irrigation and funding for federal irrigators to secure cheap power -
have been implemented, the promised enhanced spring river flows and
the promised secure refuge water supply have not been forthcoming.
Instead each year since the KBRA was completed, Lower Klamath Refuge
has been dewatered and higher spring flows to help salmon
outmigration and to lower salmon disease rates have not been
supplied.

In
spite of the bad faith shown by Reclamation and the Irrigation Elite,
Trout Unlimited, Cal Trout and other KBRA promoters continue to
support the deal; much like many individuals trapped in abusive
relationships, these groups instead defend and make excuses for the
abuser.

Bureaucratic
cowardice

Reclamation
prioritizes filling Upper Klamath Lake as early in the year as
possible because that maximizes irrigation water deliveries the
following summer as demanded by federal Irrigation Interests. That means, even in years of normal precipitation, the
KBRA promised higher spring flows and promised sure water supply for
the refuges are not provided. This is what KlamBlog has previously
called “the Brave New World” of Klamath River Basin water
management in the KBRA era: irrigation first and empty promises for the River and the
Refuges.

So
far the agencies responsible for Klamath River Basin fish and
wildlife – the US Fish and Wildlife Service, the National Marine Fisheries Service, California Department of Fish & Wildlife and
Oregon Department of Fish & Wildlife – have gone along with
Reclamation's return to irrigation-first management under cover of
the KBRA. That is what typically happens when politicians make deals;
in spite of whistleblower and civil service protections, bureaucrats
rarely raise objections when their political bosses condone violation
of the very laws the bureaucrats have sworn to faithfully uphold.

Let
your voice be heard

Whatever your views on water management in the Klamath River Basin in the KBRA era, consider letting the newly nominated
Secretary of Interior - REI President Sally Jewell – know what
you think. While Jewell has not yet been confirmed, messages
directed to her at the US Department of Interior will be delivered.
Here's the link to the Department of Interior's “contact us” page.

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The Mouth, the Estuary and Oregos Guardian Spirit.

Welcome!

Welcome to KlamBlog. The purpose of this blog is to keep the People of the Klamath River Basin and others who are interested in the Basin informed about what is going on in the politics of the Basin - particularly the environmental politics - that is not making it into the mainstream media, is not available in "in-Basin" media or that is being spun by the media or others.

What you will get here, however, is a perspective, one which I hope will enlighten, inspire, inform, outrage, surprise and motivate you to take action. Sometimes you will also find an action alert, what others have written or press clips.

If you have something relevant you'd like to share - a comment or clip about the Klamath - send it to unofelice@gmail.com. All submissions will be considered for publication here; decisions are final and not subject to appeal.

About Me

Felice was born on January 10th 1947 into the working class Italian Community in South Philadelphia. He holds a BA in Economics from Yale U., a masters in Education from Montclair State University and a life-time California teaching credential. He has worked as a teacher/educator, laborer, Outward Bound instructor, social services administrator and as a consultant to Native American tribes. For fifteen years Felice worked for and led the Klamath Forest Alliance as Program Coordinator, Executive Director and Program Director. He remains part of the Alliance’s Core Group.
Felice lived in the Scott River Basin for 35 years; since 2002 he has resided near the mouth of the Klamath River at Klamath Glen.